Back in November we wrote a post about the coming 10% RDS price increase coming in January 2021. That means for your February reporting (January usage) you will be charged the new price.
Officially they claim it is due to the significant investment Microsoft has made in Research and Development across its infrastructure products. Enhanced capabilities such as supporting Offline use on internal networks, single sign on support, connection to an RD Broker without an RD Gateway, better 4k remoting improvements, multiple GPU support, and better network detection are just some of the listed improvements.
Strategically we do know that Microsoft is pushing hard on Windows Virtual Desktop with Windows 10, delivered through Azure and with Office365/Teams. In this offering, remote access can be bundled in with the service. Those affected are Service Providers who have been delivering Remote Desktop Services to their clients through private cloud offerings.
What’s Next?
While no one can predict which SPLA sku’s Microsoft will announce a price increase next, it’s fair to say that many of the user-based products, like Exchange and Office are obvious candidates. Office in particular is one that could go away entirely. Beyond Microsoft wanting people to purchase Office through CSP, Microsoft has always wanted their clients on the latest version of Office to ensure it compares as favorably to Google apps as possible.
One thing is certain, Microsoft won’t make any pricing changes until January of 2022, where they typically provide notice in November of the previous year.
Removing Office would present some challenges to ISV’s who leverage the Excel component for their application, but keep in mind, Excel can be reported as an individual sku. Resellers don’t often promote this but Excel can be purchased as a stand-alone sku [Part# 065-05720].
If you want to talk about your SPLA and how we might help you optimize your spend and remain compliant, click below to book a complimentary, no-obligation appointment with our Microsoft Licensing Specialists.
Your Microsoft Licensing Experts at Altaris Cloud